The early winter months of 2012 brought unseasonably warm temperatures and little snow, with Kirksville Public Works addressing street repairs and pot hole fixes on January 3 rather than their usual snow plowing duties.

On Feb. 1, exactly one year after the 14 inches of snow fell on Kirksville in 2011, the forecasted high was in the 50s.

There was such little precipitation during January that it wasn’t until mid-February that the city experienced its first significant snow fall and storm.

The lack of snow melt in the spring months contributed to the summer’s drought.

Dry, windy summer

The summer continued the trend of wild weather, with a damaging windstorm moving through Northern Missouri Feb. 29 with 50 to 70 mph winds.

The storm knocked out power for about 4,000 Adair County residents at its peak and damaged several local businesses including Faith Lutheran Church, toppling its cross.

The rest of the summer was dry and hot, with drought conditions reaching “D-2” levels on the four-level scale.

Gov. Jay Nixon declared a State of Emergency due to drought conditions in September, paving the way for federal assistance.

Little snow so far

The trend of unseasonable weather has continued, with little snowfall recorded so far into mid-December.

The region braced on December 20 as Winter Storm Draco moved across the Midwest region, dumping several inches of snow in the Kirksville area days after temperatures in the 50s.

The winter months as a whole were a stark contrast from the blizzards of 2011 which shut down the city for at least a day and prevented U.S. Postal Service deliveries, with continued concerns the lack of snow melt will again lead to drought-like conditions for farmers this upcoming summer.